[SOLVED] cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop

BryanG · 07-06-2009, 07:43 AM

Cannot access data on my old hard drive from a Compaq presario laptop running XP when now connected to new HP550 laptop running Vista home premium SP2.

Took old hard drive out and connected via an enclosure to the USB port, system recognised new hardway, loaded drivers and said ready to use. I cannot access the drive.

The disc is recognised by the system and appears in disc management but it does not have a volume name or drive path, says layout is simple, type is basic, file system is blank, status is healthy(active, primary partition).

If I right click on drive my only option is delete volume.

Help please as I could do with getting some data I stupidly failed to back up...

PS My old laptop is dead so cant get info any other way.

dai · 07-06-2009, 09:26 AM

try taking ownership

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308421

BryanG · 07-06-2009, 12:28 PM

Sorry a bit slow unable to take ownership - cant get to security tab to take ownership

Vista seems to be a bit different to XP.

dai · 07-06-2009, 06:52 PM

sorry mixed you up with a xp thread

http://www.tipandtrick.net/2008/how-...ders-in-vista/

BryanG · 07-07-2009, 04:17 AM

sorry to be a pain and I really appreciate your quick responses but the new drive does not appear in Windows explorer so I cannot even start teh process to take ownership. I only see the drive when I go to disk management via administrative tools.

**raptor_pa** · 07-07-2009, 04:56 AM

What is the status of the disk in disk management ( In grey area ) and what does it say about the partition?

BryanG · 07-07-2009, 06:24 AM

It says online then in status it says - healthy (active, primary partition)

**raptor_pa** · 07-07-2009, 07:15 AM

Does it show the filesystem type for the diak? (RAW,NTFS, FAT)?

BryanG · 07-07-2009, 08:25 AM

No, file system is blank it also has no volume name or drive associated letter.

If I right click on the disk in top display - the only option is delete volume.
I can get properties when right click on bottom display

**raptor_pa** · 07-07-2009, 09:26 AM

In the bottom no option to assign a drive letter? If not then the next step is to move to recovery software if you want to get your data back. If the drive is spinning and making no noise then download 'partition find and mount' and scan the drive with the highest level scan if it finds the partition, mount it and copy your files out to another disk - if it doesn't find the partition structure then download the demos of r-studio and getdataback and scan the drive with them to see which does the best job of finding your files. You can then register that one and copy your files out to another drive.

BryanG · 07-07-2009, 10:17 AM

Brilliant, thanks very much, really appreciated your help. partition find and mount worked a treat. really simple to use.

dai · 07-07-2009, 10:39 AM

glad you have it sorted

07-06-2009, 07:43 AM	#1 (permalink)
BryanG Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista home premium SP2	[SOLVED] cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop Cannot access data on my old hard drive from a Compaq presario laptop running XP when now connected to new HP550 laptop running Vista home premium SP2. Took old hard drive out and connected via an enclosure to the USB port, system recognised new hardway, loaded drivers and said ready to use. I cannot access the drive. The disc is recognised by the system and appears in disc management but it does not have a volume name or drive path, says layout is simple, type is basic, file system is blank, status is healthy(active, primary partition). If I right click on drive my only option is delete volume. Help please as I could do with getting some data I stupidly failed to back up... PS My old laptop is dead so cant get info any other way.

07-06-2009, 09:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,539 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop try taking ownership http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308421 __________________

07-06-2009, 12:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
BryanG Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista home premium SP2	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop Sorry a bit slow unable to take ownership - cant get to security tab to take ownership Vista seems to be a bit different to XP.

07-06-2009, 06:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,539 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop sorry mixed you up with a xp thread http://www.tipandtrick.net/2008/how-...ders-in-vista/ __________________

07-07-2009, 04:17 AM	#5 (permalink)
BryanG Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista home premium SP2	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop sorry to be a pain and I really appreciate your quick responses but the new drive does not appear in Windows explorer so I cannot even start teh process to take ownership. I only see the drive when I go to disk management via administrative tools.

07-07-2009, 04:56 AM	#6 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,784 OS: XP	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop What is the status of the disk in disk management ( In grey area ) and what does it say about the partition? __________________

07-07-2009, 06:24 AM	#7 (permalink)
BryanG Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista home premium SP2	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop It says online then in status it says - healthy (active, primary partition)

07-07-2009, 07:15 AM	#8 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,784 OS: XP	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop Does it show the filesystem type for the diak? (RAW,NTFS, FAT)? __________________

07-07-2009, 08:25 AM	#9 (permalink)
BryanG Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista home premium SP2	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop No, file system is blank it also has no volume name or drive associated letter. If I right click on the disk in top display - the only option is delete volume. I can get properties when right click on bottom display

07-07-2009, 09:26 AM	#10 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,784 OS: XP	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop In the bottom no option to assign a drive letter? If not then the next step is to move to recovery software if you want to get your data back. If the drive is spinning and making no noise then download 'partition find and mount' and scan the drive with the highest level scan if it finds the partition, mount it and copy your files out to another disk - if it doesn't find the partition structure then download the demos of r-studio and getdataback and scan the drive with them to see which does the best job of finding your files. You can then register that one and copy your files out to another drive. __________________

07-07-2009, 10:17 AM	#11 (permalink)
BryanG Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista home premium SP2	Re: cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop Brilliant, thanks very much, really appreciated your help. partition find and mount worked a treat. really simple to use.

07-07-2009, 10:39 AM	#12 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,539 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: [SOLVED] cant access old hard drive as ext drive on new laptop glad you have it sorted __________________